Malita Chaya
Chikwawa District, Malawi … Born in 1972 forty-five-year-old Malita Chaya has entertained the idea of having her own business for a long time. However, reality dictated another course, one that offered little in the way of advancement, no type of wage increase, no retirement program, nor any health insurance, and no possibility of advancement for merit. Her legs would not move, and this made it nearly impossible to care for her three children.
A couple of years ago the Malawi Project was able to give her a wheelchair, and with its mobility she was able to get her business started. However, when the wheelchair was badly damaged she had to stop. With the broken wheelchair her dreams stopped as quickly as the broken or bent wheelchair rim.
Mobility Unit Gives Hope
With the broken wheelchair she had no hope, and without hope she had no promise. But now, with the new mobility unit, she would start her business up again. Malita is not like so many other people in urban areas who cannot get around easily. For them begging is a way of life. For Malita, her aspirations go much farther, and they include her children. She works very hard to make a living. Her every move is watched by her daughter, and Malita is determined to follow a different path in life. She is unwavering in her desire to teach her children to work for a living. To say the least Malita is an example that will go a long way toward giving them an “example” to lead the way in the right direction.
“This is a really nice way to travel,” she said. “I have never seen anything like this. I can now take my to the market and sell them for money. This is a good thing and will allow me to be independent.”
Malita is second from the left in this picture of four recipients of mobility units.